Microsoft to Rush Emergency Patch for Internet Explorer

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Microsoft to Rush Emergency Patch for Internet Explorer

While Internet Explorer may not be the most secure of browsers, at least Microsoft is fast when it comes to patching vulnerabilities. The company is getting ready to push out an emergency update for the very serious flaw we reported yesterday.

Microsoft says it plans to ship a security update for Internet Explorer later today. The update will be rated "critical" (the company's highest priority rating) and is recommended for all versions of IE.

The update is something of an unusual move for Microsoft and highlights the severity of the problem in this case. The vulnerability, which affects Internet Explorer, not Windows itself, is already being exploited in the wild — primarily on Chinese websites where the malicious software goes after passwords for computer games. However, security experts are worried that more serious threats will emerge.

While the known exploits target IE 7, Microsoft says that all supported versions of IE (5.5 through 8) are affected.

If you've got Windows Update turned on, you should see the patch pop up later today. If you've disabled Update, you can either turn it back on temporarily or download the patch when Microsoft posts it to the Download Center.